Title: Wishes on Stars
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Timeline: One month after Tin and Diamonds.
Synopsis: Giles wants to make changes to Council
Protocol…also, Ethan and Michael decide to make their announcement.
Giles smiled as
Callie lay down on the floor at his feet.
She had come to work with him every day and was learning quickly when
was playtime and when was time to settle.
Meetings were quiet time, and this was a very important meeting.
Alan Brooks, Head of
the Board, chuckled softly as he glanced at the three month old boxer. “I’d heard that she went everywhere with you,
but I wasn’t expecting to see her today.”
Giles opened his
briefcase and pulled out a stack of paperwork, turning his smile to
Brooks. “She goes everywhere. I’m fairly certain that she’ll behave
herself.”
Brooks grinned and
shook his head. “Rupert, this is your
business, your building, your puppy…who am I to say anything?”
Giles laughed and
handed a large, professionally-bound presentation to the other man. “True, but you have a right to request her
non-presence. I do understand that not
everyone likes dogs.”
“I happen to be a
dog-lover from way back. She’s more than
welcome.” Brooks looked down at the book
he had been handed. “Are these the proposed
changes you spoke with me about a few months ago?”
“They are.” Giles sat back in his chair, rolling a pen
between the index finger and thumb of his left hand.
“Your oldest turns
ten this year, yes?”
Giles nodded. “In three months. However, the fact that my son has chosen to
follow me has no bearing on these changes.”
“I’ll read through
this in more detail later. Based on our
previous discussions, I’m all for this.
I think they’re good ideas.” He
cleared his throat and looked into Giles’ eyes.
“May I ask the reason for these changes?”
Giles knew that he
had listed each reason, in great detail, in the proposal. He also knew that Alan wanted to hear it from
him first. Giles smiled softly and
leaned forward.
“Are you speaking of
the promotions to Active Watcher or my ideas on allowing the new students to
study at the Academy three days a week instead of full-time?”
“Let’s go with
both.” Alan smiled back and folded his
hands on the table. “But, one at a
time.”
“I’ve seen, and
experienced, how difficult it is for a ten-year-old child to be taken from
everything he or she knows and be thrown into this. It’s hard for a child, hell…it would be hard
for an adult. And yet, the Council has
never taken this into consideration.
It’s always been expected that the child will adapt.”
Giles lowered his pen
to the table and shook his head. “Some
children adapt well, some don’t. The
ones that have troubles with adaptation were never given proper counselling. They were just expected to…get over it and on
with it. Children need to know that
their lives need not revolve around demons and Hellmouths. They need to realize that they can still have
a somewhat normal life. A life that
includes friends and sport and time to relax.”
“Did you have issues
with adapting to life at the Academy?”
Alan asked softly.
A smile tugged at the
corner of Giles’ mouth as he shook his head.
“No, my issues came later. I
actually adapted to this life rather well.
However, some of my classmates did not.”
Alan made a quick note
on a pad of paper before giving Giles a nod in a silent request for him to
continue.
“As for promotions to
Active Watcher…” Giles sighed and folded
his hands. “Not every child learns at
the same rate. Some are more advanced,
some need more time. However, it has
always been that once a student reaches the age of twenty-one, they become
Assistant Watcher and continue their training in the field with an Active
Watcher.”
Giles’ eyes darkened
with sadness. “Do you realize how many
Assistant Watchers have perished in the field because they simply weren’t
ready?”
“Sadly, I do.” Alan replied in a hushed tone.
“And then, providing
they survive their field training, they’re automatically promoted to Active
Watcher on their thirtieth birthday.
Granted, they probably wouldn’t be assigned a Slayer at that age, but…if
they’ve barely passed their lessons, then they have the tendency to become more
of a liability than anything else.”
“How old were you
when Buffy was assigned to you?”
“Thirty-eight.”
“And did you feel
that you were ready for that assignment?”
Giles smiled, knowing
exactly where this was heading. “I was
nervous, but yes…I felt prepared.”
“Going back to
students learning at a different rate…where did you fall?”
“I found myself bored
and restless.” Giles answered
honestly. “I was ready to learn more,
but was being held back. And because I
was bored and restless, I became discouraged and disappointed.”
“So you left the
Council.” Alan continued without
hesitation. “Wesley Wyndham-Price…in
your opinion was he ready to be assigned to a Slayer?”
“No. He did his best, but he nearly cost Buffy and
Faith their lives. Though, in Wesley’s
defense, Faith did her fair share in that.”
Alan took a few more
notes and then took a deep breath. “Mitchell
Stockton…”
Giles fought to keep
his hand from wandering to his chest. “I
think he should have had more lessons before being promoted to Assistant
Watcher. He barely survived his field
training on numerous occasions.”
“Most people would
think that you were a bit biased in those opinions based on the
circumstances.” Alan stated as he leaned
back in his chair. “However, I do
not. After the incident, I pulled his
records and went through them with a fine-toothed comb. You’re right, he wasn’t ready to be promoted
to Assistant Watcher…and he certainly wasn’t ready for Active Watcher.”
Alan smiled as Giles
reached down and patted Callie’s head when she whimpered lightly.
“I’ll have to put
this before the Board since you’re proposing a change of protocol, but I see no
reason why anyone else would have an issue making the changes.” Alan placed the bound proposal on top of his
notes, meeting Giles’ eyes. “You’re
changes are for the greater good of the Council, Rupert. And I have no doubt that you would have
issued this proposal if your son was not due to take his oath in three months.”
Giles smiled as he
extended his hand towards Alan. “Thank
you, Alan.”
Alan shook the
proffered hand and returned the smile.
“One last question. These
changes, would they apply to the students currently enrolled in the Academy.”
“Yes, they
would. They would affect every student,
every Assistant Watcher, and every Active Watcher as soon as the changes were
put into effect.”
“Good. Give me a couple of days?”
Giles smiled warmly,
nodding as he stood. “Thank you for your
time, Alan. I’ll be awaiting your call.”
He looked down and
grinned as chocolate brown eyes stared up at him. “Come on, Callie…I still have some work to do
before lunch.”
Callie stood up and
wagged her tail. Alan laughed softly as
Callie followed Giles out the door, tail wagging and a bounce in her step.
* * *
Giles threw the
tennis ball in the courtyard, smiling as Callie ran it down while he talked to
Buffy on his mobile phone. “No, it went
rather well. I think Alan is as excited
about the changes as I am.”
Buffy grinned as she
walked into the bedroom and laid across the bed. “That’s great, Giles. I told you that they’re good. They protect everyone, inside the Council and
out.”
Giles furrowed his
brow when he heard the slight creak of bedsprings over the phone. “Are you in bed?”
“Am now. Wasn’t before.”
He picked up the ball
when Callie dropped it at his feet and threw it again. “And what are you doing in bed?”
“Thinking about
you.”
Hearing the husky
tone of her voice, he cleared his throat.
“Buffy…”
“Relax, Giles. I’m not going to do anything while we’re on
the phone. Besides…you’re outside,
right?”
“I am.” He replied, chuckling softly when Callie
tripped. She didn’t do that as often as
she once did.
“So, I’ll wait until
I hang up…and then I’ll think about you and how your hands feel on my
body. Or how your – ”
“Buffy!” He glanced around, relieved to see that no
one seemed to have heard him. “Please,
love…I have so much work to do this afternoon.”
“Would you rather I
wait until you come home?”
He felt his cock stir
at the thought of her pleasuring herself.
Lowering his voice, he shook his head.
“I didn’t say that.”
Buffy chuckled
softly. “What are you saying?”
He bent down and
picked up the tennis ball. “Come on,
Callie. Playtime’s over, sweetheart.”
“Giles…”
He sighed at her
sing-song tone. “Yes, darling?”
“What are you saying
if you weren’t saying that you didn’t want me to wait?”
“Buffy…”
“Do you want to
listen to me make myself come while I think about you?”
“Christ, Buffy.” He mumbled as he climbed the steps leading
back to the building. “Are you trying to
kill me?”
“How much work is ‘so
much work to do this afternoon’?”
He stepped into the
elevator, holding the door open while Callie bounded in after him. “Too much to come home right now…too much to
spend an hour on the phone with you, my cock in my hand as I listen to you…”
“Can you spare
fifteen minutes? I’ll make it quick…I’m
already so wet…”
“Bloody hell,
Buffy…” He sighed as he leaned against
the elevator wall.
“Five minutes and
I’ll call you back? Is that enough time
for you to get back to your office?”
He licked his lips
and cleared his throat as the doors slid open. “Five minutes.”
With that, he clicked
his phone shut and ushered Callie out of the lift. “Office,
He swallowed as he
stepped out of the lift, hoping that his trousers were dark enough to conceal
the erection that had grown quickly at her words and his imagination. He watched Callie run down the hall and stop
in front of his office door.
He picked up his
pace, successfully getting down the hall before anyone decided that they needed
his assistance with anything. Walking
into his office, he tossed the ball across the room as he closed and locked the
door behind him.
He had just enough
time to put Callie’s lunch out for her before the phone rang. Smiling, he made his way over to the couch,
grabbing the phone as he sat down.
“Rupert Giles.”
“I’m naked, lying on
our bed…”
He groaned softly and
rubbed his erection through his trousers.
“I wish I could come home.”
“Mm, me too.” She murmured.
“I guess this vibrator will have to tide me over until the kids are in
bed, huh?”
Giles’ eyes followed
Callie as she crossed the room. He
sighed in relief when she sniffed at her food before deciding that she’d take a
nap first. As soon as her eyes were closed,
he undid his pants and pulled his cock out.
“Did you just now
undo your pants?”
He stroked himself
slowly, nodding even though she couldn’t see him. “Mm-hm…Callie was awake…”
Buffy chuckled, her
amusement clear in her tone. “Giles,
she’s a dog…”
“I feel uncomfortable
with her watching.” He responded,
narrowing his eyes when he heard a soft buzz.
“Dear Lord…did you just turn it on?”
“Oh yeah…” She whispered. “I promised you I’d be quick…”
“Buffy – ”
She continued, not
making any indication that she had heard him speak her name. “So, I’m going to fuck myself with it…and
pretend it’s you…”
“Christ…” He groaned, tightening his grip and
quickening his strokes. “I want you so
badly, Buffy.”
“I want you
too.” She moaned, sliding the fake
phallus into her. “I wish this was you
inside of me…”
He listened carefully…her
breathing, her soft whimper as he imagined her pushing the vibrator deep within
her…and he knew that she was close.
Chances are, she was close even as they were on the phone while he was
outside with Callie.
“I want to fuck you,
Buffy.” He smiled as she groaned
louder. “I want to be the one inside of
you right now. Feeling your muscles grip
me as I thrust my cock hard and fast into you…”
“God, yes…”
His cock twitched in
his hand, thickening as he pushed himself closer to orgasm. “My cock is so hard right now, Buffy.”
“What…” She gasped and then took a shaky breath. “What are you…doing?”
“Fucking my hand and
imagining I’m fucking you.” He replied,
his voice quavering lightly.
“Close…” She whispered.
“We both are.” He licked his lips, arching his hips against
his hand. “Turn it up, Buffy. All the way.”
“Giles, God…Giles…”
“Three more thrusts,
then…then take it out and hold it against your clit.” He fought to keep his groans as low as
possible. “Hold it there and come for me…let
me hear you come, Buffy.”
“You…you too…” She whimpered as she plunged the vibrator
harder.
“Yes, love…I’ll come
with you…” His hand was slick with the
fluid flowing at a steady rate from the head of his erection. “Three thrusts from now…go…”
He closed his eyes,
listening to the wet sounds coming through the handset of the phone. His hand moved faster as she held the
vibrator against her throbbing clit. In
just a few seconds, she screamed his name and he thrust a final time, moaning
her name as he came.
“God…”
As his body trembled
after his release, he opened his eyes and looked down at his hand…his
come-covered hand that was still wrapped around his softening cock. He swallowed thickly and let his head fall
back against the couch.
“You made me make a
huge mess, love.”
She panted heavily,
the buzzing sound disappearing as she switched the vibrator off. “I’ll…have to change the sheets…before you
come home…”
He reached for the
box of tissues on the table next to him and shook his head as he pulled four
out. “Please don’t.”
“Giles…”
He shuddered lightly
as he cleaned himself. “I want to be
able to smell you on our sheets when I make love to you tonight.”
Tossing the used
tissues into the bin, he smiled when he heard her sharp gasp. “And I’m planning on making love to you for a
while…”
“I love you.” She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
He tucked himself
back into his trousers and carefully zipped, buttoned, and buckled back
up. “I love you too.”
“I, uh…I should let
you go, huh? I mean…the quicker you get
back to work, the quicker you’ll be home.”
He took a deep breath
and grabbed a few more tissues. “I
suppose. Though you could talk to me
while I finish cleaning up.”
“What are you
cleaning?”
He chuckled and slid to
his knees on the floor. “The carpet…the
coffee table…”
Buffy laughed
brightly as Giles dabbed at the carpet with the tissues.
A light thumping
caught Giles’ attention and he looked down at Callie. She was staring at the door, her tail wagging…and
increasing in speed with each second.
Just as she stood up in her bed, the door to the office opened.
Giles laughed as
Ethan walked in and Callie ran to greet him.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, confused at the laughter, as he bent down to
give the puppy an affectionate pat.
“What’s so funny,
mate?”
Giles grinned and
shook his head. “Not funny, per se. She was just a little excited that you were
coming by.”
“Well, that’s because
she likes me.” He looked down at the
puppy and smiled brightly. “Don’t ya,
Callie?”
Callie wiggled and
licked Ethan’s hands. Giles closed the
folder he was looking through.
“What brings you by?”
“Hm?” Ethan looked up and smiled. “Oh.
Just came to pick Michael up and thought I’d stop in to say ‘hi’. And…to invite you to dinner at our house this
Friday.”
Giles smiled as he
looked into Ethan’s eyes. “Are we
finally making an announcement?”
“Yeah…we are.”
Giles looked towards
the door as Michael walked in with a smile on his face.
“Thought I’d find you
here.” He said teasingly as he gave
Ethan a soft kiss.
“Just giving out the
dinner invitations.” Ethan replied, his
eyes darting back to Michael’s lips.
“You, uh…you ready to go?”
“In about fifteen
minutes. I just needed to get Rupert’s
approval on this.” He held up a piece of
paper and smiled.
Ethan rolled his eyes
playfully. “See, this is why I don’t
like to work…five o’clock rarely means five o’clock.”
Giles laughed
heartily. “Not everyone can afford to not
work on the sole basis of not liking to work.”
Ethan sent his friend
a mock-glare and picked up a soccer ball resting near the couch. “Come on, Callie…we’ll go play football while
these two finish up, yeah?”
Callie wagged her
tail and wiggled excitedly, taking a step towards Ethan before stopping and
looking up at Giles. Giles laughed again
and gestured to Ethan.
“Off you go, then.”
Michael’s eyes
widened as Callie happily followed Ethan out the door. “Did she really just ask permission to go?”
Giles smiled and
shook his head. “Not as such. She just likes to keep me and/or Buffy in her
sight. She likes Ethan though, she’ll be
alright.” He glanced at the paper in
Michael’s hand. “You need my approval?”
“Yes, just to
authorize payment for the reconstruction of
Giles nodded and took
the paper, quickly signing his name on the proverbial dotted line. “An expensive venture, but one I’ll approve
happily.”
“Will you and Buffy
be able to make it to dinner on Friday?”
Michael asked softly.
Giles looked up and
smiled. “As far as I know, we have no
plans. And if we do…I’ll rearrange
them. I wouldn’t miss this, Michael.”
Michael returned the
smile and then took a deep breath, glancing at the door. “Um…would you mind if I talked to you for a
minute?”
“Of course not. Have a seat.”
Michael sat down and
met Giles’ eyes. Giles was surprised to
see nervousness in them.
“What is it,
Michael?”
“I love him,
Rupert. But, I’m concerned.”
Giles furrowed his brow
and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desktop. “What are you concerned about?”
Giles fully expected
him to say that he was worried about demons, Chaos in particular, or even that
he was worried about any lingering feelings that Ethan may have for him. He couldn’t help but smile when Michael
divulged his concern.
“He worries
sometimes…about losing me. I…do you
think he asked me to marry him because he’s afraid of losing me?”
Giles shook his head,
his green eyes warm with affection for the young man. “No.
Ethan asked you to marry him because he’s in love with you. Trust me, this is a big step for Ethan. And, as far as I know, the relationship he
has with you has been the only monogamous relationship he’s ever been in.”
When Michael lowered
his eyes, Giles’ smile faded.
“He has been
monogamous…correct?”
“Yes.” Michael exhaled slowly and met Giles’ eyes
again. “Even when I practically asked
him to let me watch him with a woman…he refused.”
Giles lifted an
eyebrow in surprise. “You…wanted him to
be with a woman?”
Michael shrugged, an
embarrassed smile forming on his lips.
“I thought maybe he missed being with a woman. He said that I was all he needed.”
Giles cleared his
throat. “You are far too old for me to
lecture you, but I will say this.
Bringing another person into his bed was one of the reasons his
relationship with Anna ended.”
Michael tilted his
head. “He said that it was because she
thought he was sleeping with you.”
Giles nodded
slowly. “Because she saw him enjoy sex
with another man, and she found out about the past he shared with me…she made
that incredibly inaccurate assumption.
He’s in love with you, Michael.
And he knows what damage can be done…even if both parties are in
agreement to bringing someone else to the bed.”
Michael thought about
that for a moment and then bit his lip.
“Can I ask you a question?
Um…it’s a pretty personal question…you don’t have to answer.”
“Does it concern
Ethan and myself?” Giles asked
carefully, smiling softly when Michael nodded affirmatively. “Please, ask.”
“Ethan loved
you…still does to a point. I…I know that
you had sex with him…more than once.”
Michael hesitated for a split-second.
“Did you love him at all?”
“I cared about
him. I still do. He was my best friend…and it took a very long
time for us to find that friendship again.
I didn’t love him in the sense that you’re asking about.” Giles swallowed and shook his head.
“I was a very
different person back then. I took what
I needed, what I wanted…with no regard of anyone else’s feelings. I’m not proud of my actions, Michael…please
understand that. He gave me what I
needed and what I wanted because he loved me.
And I took complete advantage of that fact.”
“So…it was just sex
to you?”
“Yes.”
When Michael exhaled,
Giles tilted his head and looked into his eyes.
“Michael, are you worried that Ethan and I would…well, that I…”
Michael smiled
nervously. “It has crossed my mind once
or twice.”
When he saw the
startled look in Giles’ eyes, he quickly continued. “I honestly don’t think that Ethan would come
to you. My concern comes from the fact
that if you were to come to him…I don’t think he’d be able to say no.”
Giles exhaled a deep
breath and smiled. “That’s something you
need not worry about, Michael. Ethan is
the only man I’ve ever been with. And I
made a promise to Buffy over ten years ago that if I ever felt the urge to be
with another man that it wouldn’t be Ethan.”
“Oh.”
“You do know the
nature of the sexual relationship between Ethan and I, yes?”
Michael nodded
slowly. “It never happened when you were
sober…or if there was a willing woman around.”
Sadness flickered in
Giles’ eyes. “I hurt him
deeply…emotionally, never physically.”
He thought for a second and then amended that statement. “Well, never physically during sex.”
Despite the serious
nature of the conversation, Michael chuckled.
“You are the best
thing that’s ever happened to Ethan. I
truly believe that. You make him happy, Michael…and
that’s all I’ve ever wanted for him. To
be happy.”
Michael furrowed his
brow slightly. “He was happy when he was
with you.”
Giles shook his head
and sighed. “That was a false
happiness. It happens often with
unrequited love…especially when the other person allows you to give them
yourself. I’ll always care about
him…even when we perceived each other to be enemies, I cared about him. But, I’ll never love him in that way.”
He narrowed his eyes
and ran his hand through his hair. “And
I honestly didn’t mean that to sound as harsh as it did.”
Michael smiled
warmly. “No, I understand. Thank you, Rupert.”
Giles returned the
smile and looked up as Callie ran into the office. Ethan followed, the soccerball in his hand.
“Okay, we gave you twenty.” He dropped the ball in the toy box and ran
his hand along Michael’s shoulder. “Can
I please take you home now?”
Giles chuckled and
pushed his chair back as he stood. “Go
ahead…take him.”
Ethan met Giles’ eyes
and grinned. Giles rolled his eyes and
pulled his keys out of his top desk drawer.
“For God’s sake,
Ethan…not everything I say concerns sex.”
He put a stack of papers in his briefcase and closed it. “And you’re not taking him here.”
Michael blushed and
Ethan laughed. “No, this office is for
Giles sex only.”
Giles looked at him
sharply, which only made Ethan laugh harder.
“You can tell me that
you and Buffy have never had sex in here.”
He slid his hand into Michael’s and gently led him towards the
door. “But, I’d never believe you.”
“Goodnight,
Ethan.” Giles stated, a warning tone in
his voice. He softened his voice when he
looked at Michael. “Goodnight, Michael.”
“Be seeing you.” Ethan called as he walked out of the office
with Michael.
Giles sighed heavily and
looked down at Callie. “Ready to go
home? I know I am.”
Callie wagged her
tail and stomped her front feet in excitement as Giles picked up the lead and
clipped it to her collar. She didn’t
really need it at this age, but he knew that the day would come, probably
sooner rather than later, when she would.
Grabbing the
briefcase, he led the puppy out of the office.
He smiled as he pushed the button for the lift. He enjoyed his work, but he enjoyed going
home to his family even more.
* * *
Giles walked through
the front door and unclipped Callie’s lead.
He sighed when he heard the distinctive sound of his two eldest children
arguing. This was a new development in
the boys’ relationship and the arguments were occurring more frequently.
When he heard Buffy’s
stern voice tell the boys that that was quite enough, he placed his briefcase
on the floor and walked into the living room.
“What’s going
on?”
Haddie and Evan
looked up quickly, smiles on their faces as they ran towards him. “Daddy!”
He chuckled softly as
they wrapped their small bodies around his legs. Callie bounced happily and gave each of the
children a lick before running off to find Buffy.
Giles smiled as he
carefully pried himself from their grips and knelt in front of them. He ran his fingers through Haddie’s golden
curls as he playfully poked Evan’s stomach.
“How was your day?”
Evan leaned against
his father’s chest and played with his tie as Haddie began to chatter away
about one of her friends at daycare asking if she and Evan were twins. Evan looked up into his father’s eyes.
“What’s twins?”
Giles smiled
softly. “Twins are two babies born at
the same time to the same mother.”
“We not twins. ‘Addie’s older than me.” Evan stated seriously.
Giles shook his head and
lovingly stroked his fingers down the boy’s cheek. “No, you’re not twins. But, you look very similar…though your hair
is getting a bit darker now.”
Evan smiled
brightly. “Like Luke and Bay!”
“It may not be as
dark as theirs, but it will be darker than Haddie’s.”
“Hey…”
Giles looked up at
Buffy’s soft voice and smiled.
“Hello.” He glanced over at the
two older boys who were still glaring at each other. “What is it this time?”
“Lucas wanted to
train with me and Braden. Braden said
that it was pointless because Lucas wasn’t going to be a Watcher anyway.”
Giles sighed
heavily. “Which, understandably, upset
Lucas.”
Buffy nodded. “And then Lucas hit him.”
Giles sighed again
and gave a kiss to Evan and then Haddie.
“Alright, you two play with Callie.
I’m going to talk to your brothers…”
He stood as the two
ran off to find the puppy. Buffy gently
stroked his chest and leaned up for a kiss.
“Missed you.”
He kissed her warmly,
threading his fingers through her hair.
“Missed you too.”
“Homework’s been
done, dinner’s almost ready.”
Giles nodded and
brushed his lips across hers once more.
“I’ll take them down to the training room. We shouldn’t be very long.”
“Okay. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
He gave her a smile, trailing
his fingers down her arm as he stepped towards the door leading to the training
room in the basement. Braden and Lucas
ended their staredown and looked at their father, both sighing heavily when he
gestured towards the door.
“Your fault.” Lucas grumbled.
Braden glared at him
as he pushed past him. “Shut up, Luke.”
Giles narrowed his
eyes as he looked down at them. “That’s
enough. Let’s go talk this out.”
Buffy offered him a
smile as the boys made their way down the stairs. “Have fun.”
Giles snorted softly
in response and then followed the boys, closing the door behind him.
Giles leaned against
the pommel horse and crossed his arms over his chest as his sons sat down
heavily on the bench and looked up at him.
“Alright, who wants
to go first this time?”
Braden and Lucas
exchanged a glance and then Braden gestured to his brother. “He can.”
Giles nodded and
turned his eyes to Lucas. “What
happened?”
“I asked Mummy if I
could train with them tonight, but Braden said there wouldn’t be any point
‘cause I’m not gonna be a Watcher anyway.
And I got really mad and then I hit him.”
Giles bit his lip to
keep from smiling. If anything, he had
to admit that his children were honest…even over something that could very well
get them into trouble.
“Mm-hm. Braden, do you agree with what he said?”
Braden exhaled slowly
and nodded. “Except he forgot the part
where I called him an idiot. That’s the
part that really made him mad.”
Giles turned, lowering
his arms as the smile broke free, and grabbed a chair. Placing it in front of the bench, he sat
down…backwards on the chair, his arms crossed on top of the back.
“Alright, let’s talk
it out.” He looked at Braden, his eyes
warm. “What would you do if someone, or
something, came after Lucas?”
Braden sat up
straight, a determined look on his face.
“I’d protect him.”
Giles nodded
slowly. “But…what if you weren’t there
to protect him? What if he was by
himself?”
Braden lowered his
eyes, his father’s question running through his head. “I…I don’t know.”
“Just because Lucas
has decided he doesn’t want to become a Watcher, doesn’t mean he won’t
encounter danger. He’s still a Giles,
the son of a Watcher and the Slayer.
Shouldn’t he be able to protect himself if there’s no one there to
protect him?”
Sadness flickered in
Braden’s eyes as he looked back up. “I
didn’t think about it like that, Dad.”
“I might change my
mind.” Lucas spoke softly.
Giles and Braden both
looked at the younger boy.
“Lucas…you know that
you can change your mind. And you know
that your mother and I will support you in any decision you make. It’s not written in stone that all of you
have to follow in my footsteps.”
Lucas furrowed his
brow as he met his father’s eyes. “You
followed your Dad.”
Giles nodded slowly
and took a deep breath. “That wasn’t my
choice. I made a promise to myself many
years ago that any child I had would make that choice for themselves. I promised myself and I promised your mother
that I would not force any of you into joining the Council.”
“That doesn’t make me
a scaredy cat?”
Giles’ eyes widened
and he glanced at Braden. Braden smiled
shyly.
“I kinda said that
too.”
Giles blew out an
exasperated breath and shook his head. “No,
Lucas. It just means that your life is
taking you in a different direction.
There’s no shame in choosing a life that makes you happy…whether it be
with the Council or not. It does not
make you a ‘scaredy cat’.”
Braden looked at his
brother and sighed. “Sorry about that,
Luke.”
Lucas shrugged a
shoulder. “I still want to train with
you and Mummy.”
Braden glanced at his
father. Giles cleared his throat and
gave a nod.
“I think it’s
important that he trains with you. You
can teach him much about taking care of himself…for the times that you’re
unable to take care of him.” When Braden
nodded, Giles narrowed his eyes slightly.
“And your brother is not an idiot.
Please refrain from ever calling him that again.”
Braden nodded
slowly. “Yes, Dad. I didn’t really mean it, I was just annoyed.”
“I know. I remember what it was like to have a younger
brother who looked up to me. And, it can
be annoying. But remember…words can hurt
worse than fists sometimes.”
Braden turned his
head and looked at his brother. “I’m
really sorry, Luke.”
“It’s okay.” Lucas replied softly.
Giles rested his chin
on his arms, looking at his sons for a moment before lifting his head. “Now, Lucas…”
Lucas looked up and
bit his lip. “Yeah, Dad?”
“What is the rule about
siblings hitting one another?”
Lucas swallowed and
sighed. “That we’re not supposed to hit
each other.”
“That’s right.” A smile flickered in his green eyes. “What happens now?”
Lucas looked at his
older brother. “I’m sorry I hit you,
Bay.”
Braden smiled and
shook his head. “I asked for it. Besides…it didn’t hurt anyway. You kinda hit like a girl.”
Giles chuckled,
shaking his head as Lucas playfully pushed Braden.
Hearing the door
open, Giles glanced towards the stairs.
He smiled as Buffy came halfway down.
“Dinner’s ready,
guys.”
Braden and Lucas
looked to Giles quickly. Giles smiled
and nodded, gesturing to the stairs.
“Go get washed up.”
As the boys raced up
the stairs, Giles stood up and moved the chair back to the corner of the
room. When he was standing on the fourth
step, eye level with Buffy, she grinned and draped her arms over his shoulders.
“Everything settled?”
He nodded, his eyes
darting to her lips. “Mm-hm.”
She raised an eyebrow
as her fingers played with the hair covering the nape of his neck. “And what are you thinking?”
“That you should
train tonight. And that I should train
with you…once the children are in bed.”
Leaning forward and
placing a kiss on his lips, she smiled.
“Been a few weeks since we’ve sparred.”
Looking into her
eyes, he returned her smile.
* * *
Callie was lying on
the floor, chewing on a rubber bone, as Buffy and Giles circled one
another. Giles smiled, easily ducking
Buffy’s punch.
“Dropped your left
shoulder.”
She scowled and took
a step back to regroup. “When?”
“Two seconds before
you swung.” He took a step to his left
and shrugged. “Just enough time to avoid
impact.”
She gave a quick nod
and moved back into her fighting stance.
“Okay, again.”
He started the third
round of their sparring session, their punches, kicks, and blocks being
exchanged at a high rate of speed. He
took a step back, narrowly avoiding being kicked in the sternum, and then moved
forward.
Blocking a punch and
taking a quick step to his right, he mistimed his movement and found himself on
his back, courtesy of a quick sweep of her left foot aimed at his ankle. She was on him before he had a chance to
move, grasping his wrists and pressing her knee into the pressure point on his
hip.
He groaned in
discomfort, breathing heavily as he stopped struggling. “Nice, Buffy…”
She looked down at
him, her chest heaving as she tightened her grip on his wrists. Releasing the pressure on his hip, she threw
her leg over him and lowered her head, quickly capturing his mouth with hers.
His lips parted
eagerly, accepting her tongue into his mouth with no hesitation. As she rocked against his burgeoning
erection, he groaned into her mouth and fought to raise his left hand.
She broke the kiss as
quickly as she had initiated it and shook her head, a smile on her face. “My show, Giles…”
He thrust his hips
upwards, increasing the pressure of her denim-clad core against his
erection. “God, I want you.”
“Me kicking you to
the floor makes you horny?” She asked,
chuckling in amusement.
He shook his head
slowly, his eyes darkening. “No…that’s
caused by your tongue in my mouth while you’re rubbing your body against me.”
She grinned, releasing
his hands as she sat up and started working on getting his jeans unbuttoned and
unzipped. As soon as he could move, his
fingers pulled the buttons on her blouse free, parting the material to expose
her satin-covered breasts.
She moaned as he rubbed
his thumbs against her hardening nipples.
“Dancing and sparring…two things that lead to…frenzied sex with us…”
He smiled, unclasping
the catch on the front of her bra. She
closed her eyes as he lifted his head and pulled her right nipple into his mouth.
“Oh, Giles…”
His groan vibrated
against her breast as she finally freed his erection. As she wrapped her fingers around the shaft,
he pulled away from her and fell back to the floor.
“Dear Lord, Buffy!”
She gave him a firm
stroke and then released him, standing above him and unbuttoning her
jeans. He gazed up at her, his hands
running up her legs and massaging her calves.
As she pushed her
jeans and underwear down to her thighs, she smiled. “I think we had enough foreplay this
afternoon, what about you?”
His hands tightened
on her calves. “I just want to be inside
of you.”
Her smile turned to a
grin as she pulled away from his hands, carefully stepping to one side and
kicking off her shoes. “And what if I
want to be inside of you?”
He swallowed as he
lifted his hips, pushing his jeans down as he toed his own shoes off. “Do you?
Do you want to be inside of me, Buffy?”
Nodding slowly, she
bent over and pulled her socks, jeans, and underwear off before pushing the
open blouse and bra off, letting them drop to the floor. “God, yes…”
He quickly removed
the rest of his clothes, sitting up to pull his shirt up over his head. Gently pulling her closer to him, he ran his
left hand up her leg as he flicked his tongue against the inside of her knee.
“Do you want to fuck
me, Buffy? Watch me writhe beneath you
as you’re thrusting a fake cock into me?”
She trembled and then
pushed him back to the floor, quickly straddling him and lowering her mouth to
the side of his neck. “No…”
He groaned, feeling
the heat of her core press against his cock.
“No?”
She nibbled at the
scar on his neck as his hands roamed across her back before lifting her head
and looking into his darkened eyes. “I
don’t want to fuck you, Giles. I want to
take my time with you. I’ve never
properly made love to you…it’s always been rushed, making you come as quickly
as I can…because that’s what you’ve wanted.”
Lifting his hand, he
ran his fingertips over the scar on her neck.
“You want to make love to me?”
“Mm-hm.” She murmured, leaning into his touch as she
rubbed her core along the length of his erection. “I want to put on the strap-on and slowly
make you come…like you do for me most of the time…”
“Buffy…” He whispered thickly, sliding his hand down
her chest and over her right breast.
“Yes, Buffy…”
Noticing that the
urgency of his motions, hands and thrusting hips, had slowed somewhat, she ran
her hand over his chest and smiled. “I
think we kinda bypassed frenzy…”
He licked his lips
and nodded in agreement. “I’m rather
sure I want to take you to bed.”
“We should have a bed
installed down here…would save us from getting all worked up and naked, only to
have to get redressed to go to bed…”
He looked into her
eyes and shook his head slowly. “I’m not
making the training room into a room for sex, Buffy.”
When she started to
protest, he smiled and pulled her down, carefully rolling their bodies until he
was on top of her. “However, if you want
me to build a dungeon for us…I will.”
She gasped as the head
of his cock nudged her clit. “Dungeon?”
He chuckled softly,
sliding his right arm under her left knee and leaning over her. “Perhaps ‘dungeon’ is too strong of a
word. I’ve no desire to tie you up and
whip you until you beg for release…”
Her left hand wrapped
around his wrist as he slowly pushed his cock into her. “Giles…”
“Handcuffs and
candlewax is one thing…a true bdsm lifestyle is not what I want with you.” He whispered as he slowly rocked his hips
against her. “A little bondage play once
in a while is fairly nice though.”
“My God…Giles…” She moaned as he shifted her leg, spreading
her thighs a little further apart.
“Right…right there…don’t stop…”
He closed his eyes
briefly, relishing the sensation of her slick walls gripping his cock. Shifting his weight slightly when he felt a
twinge in his left knee, he opened his eyes and looked down at her. The training mat was better than the hard
floor, but it wasn’t nearly as comfortable as their bed.
“Are you…okay?” He whispered as her nails dug into his wrist.
“Uh-huh…God,
yes.”
He smiled when he
felt her inner muscles begin to clench around him. “That’s it, love…”
Her eyes snapped open
and stared into his with a determination that, at one time, would have frightened
him. He pushed harder into her and
licked his dry lips.
“What is it?”
“Taste you…” She panted.
“Make me come…let me taste you…”
His eyes darkened
another shade and he gave her a nod.
Lowering his mouth to her neck, he covered the scar with his mouth,
sucking hard as he continued his thrusts.
Her hands flew to his back, her nails digging into his shoulder blades
as she turned her head, giving him more access to her neck.
“Yes, fuck yes!”
He groaned at the
sharp, but pleasurable, pain as her nails broke the skin. In return, he bit down on the scar and
slammed his hips against her. She bit
his shoulder to keep from screaming, causing him to grunt against her skin.
The sensation of her
teeth and nails digging into his flesh was quickly proving to be too much for
him. Desperately wanting to come in her
mouth, he withdrew completely and smiled against her neck when she moaned in
protest.
Moving his mouth up
the side of her neck, he nibbled at her lobe before whispering into her
ear. “Ready, love?”
She scratched her
nails down his back as she swallowed.
“Yes, God yes…Giles…”
He moved quickly,
slamming back inside of her and groaning when he felt the immediate spasm
around his cock. “Fuck, Buffy…Christ,
come for me…”
His breath against her
neck was nearly as hot as his erection inside of her. His heat was the final push over the
edge.
He felt her body
shudder underneath him as she threw her head back, her nails clawing at his
back once again. It only took three hard
thrusts for her to scream his name and bathe his cock with her fluids.
He groaned at the
intensity of her orgasm and quickly withdrew, crawling up her body until he was
straddling her chest. When she felt the
wet tip of his erection touch her lips, she opened her mouth and pulled him in
eagerly.
His hips thrust
gently as he leaned forward, supporting himself with his left hand on the floor
above her head. His right hand cradled
her cheek as she sucked hard at his flesh.
“Jesus…Buffy…”
She mumbled
incoherently around his cock and swallowed him deeper into her throat. His back muscles tensed, his voice lowering
to a low growl.
“Coming…God,
Buffy…coming…”
Her hands moved to
his hips, gripping him tightly and pushing him back a little so that the head
was on her tongue. She felt his body
tremble as he fought to hold on. Smiling
inwardly, she dug her nails of her right hand into the firm flesh of his ass as
she sucked hard.
“Fuck!” He hissed as he came forcefully, feeling her
tongue move around him as she swallowed.
Once she had
swallowed all he had to offer, she pulled back and smiled as he clumsily fell
to her side. As he rolled onto his back,
his chest heaving, she moved over him and covered his mouth with hers.
His groan rumbled in
his chest as his tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting himself as he stroked
her tongue with his. She ended the kiss
slowly, resting her right hand on his chest as she pushed herself up and looked
down at him.
“God, I love you.”
He smiled at her
fiercely whispered declaration and lifted a trembling hand to the side of her
neck. “I love you too, Buffy.”
Her eyes narrowed in
concern when she glanced at her hand on his chest, instantly focusing on the
blood under her nails. “I should…check
your back.”
He shook his head
slowly. “You should lay here with me for
a few minutes. Until I at least catch my
breath. And then…we should go to bed.”
Her eyes darted to
the corner of the room and she chuckled as she lowered her body next to
his. “How she could sleep through that,
I’ll never know.”
Grinning, he wrapped
his arm around her, ignoring the sharp sting of the minor cuts on his
back.
The following
afternoon, Giles was on the phone when Ethan walked into his office. Callie greeted him as usual, bringing her
favourite tennis ball with her. Ethan
chuckled as he rolled it across the floor.
Giles smiled and made
a note on his calendar. “Thank you,
Alan.”
Ethan looked up as
Giles hung up the phone. “Alan? Was that about your proposal?”
Giles leaned back in
his chair, pride showing in his eyes.
“It was. The announcement of the
changes will be made next week and the changes will take effect immediately.”
Ethan smiled as he
sat down on the arm of the couch. “Good
job, Rupert.”
Giles laughed as
Callie dropped the ball at Ethan’s feet before taking a step back and
yipping. “Did you come to see me about
something or to play with my dog?”
Ethan grinned and
kicked the ball for Callie. His grin
faded as he met Giles’ eyes. “Michael
told me about the conversation the two of you had yesterday.”
“Ah.” Giles sighed.
“Did I say something out of line?”
“No, not at all. I just wanted to thank you.”
Giles looked at him
curiously. “Thank me? Whatever for?”
Ethan cleared his throat
and stood up, kicking the ball once more for the puppy. “What you told him…it was the truth. I’ve never willingly been in a monogamous
relationship before. I love him,
Rupert. In a way that I never imagined I
would ever love anyone.”
He lowered his eyes
and took a deep breath. “The
relationship I have with him reminds of what I used to dream about having with
you…in the dark of the night after you had passed out.”
“Ethan…”
Ethan gave him a
crooked smile as he looked back up. “I
never thought about it seriously. You
know, one of those hopeless dreams…where you’d wake up and realize how much you
love me and shit?”
“I…didn’t know,
Ethan. Not at that time.”
“I know. But, this…what I have with Michael…it’s
real. And I have no idea why, but he
loves me as much as I love him.”
Giles smiled warmly
as he nodded. “Yes, he does.”
“And you helped him
understand why I want to marry him. For
that, I sincerely thank you.” Ethan
cleared his throat again and looked into Giles’ eyes. “But, he was right about one thing.”
Giles glanced at
Callie as she flopped onto her bed.
“What about?”
“If you came to me, I
wouldn’t be able to say no.” Ethan
swallowed nervously. “So, please…don’t
come to me. I can’t hurt Michael like
that.”
Hearing the catch in
Ethan’s voice, Giles stood quickly and walked around the desk to stand in front
of him. He placed his hand on Ethan’s
shoulder and squeezed lightly.
“I can’t hurt you
like that, Ethan. Not again.”
Ethan met his eyes
and Giles was surprised to see tears in them.
“Ethan?”
Ethan shook his head
slowly, a shy smile tugging at his lips.
“What is it about you, Rupert?
What’s in you that causes people to fall in love with you and then makes
them unable to completely let go?”
Giles chuckled
softly. “I’m rather sure that a few
people would disagree with that.”
“I’m not talking
about the women you took to bed. I’m
talking about the people who truly fell in love with you. That felt something more than an amazing
orgasm.”
When Giles tilted his
head and lowered his hand, Ethan smiled.
“Amelia, me, Jenny,
Buffy…Olivia to a certain degree.”
“Jenny let me go,
Ethan.” Giles replied quietly.
“Not completely. Not even after Eyghon possessed her. She was still in love with you…she was in
love with you when she died.”
Giles shoved his
right hand into his pocket and leaned against the desk. “It never would have worked between us.”
Ethan’s smile
widened. “In love with Buffy then, were
you?”
Giles shook his head
as he emitted a light huff. “Buffy was
seventeen when I was with Jenny.”
“And yet you loved
her.”
Giles looked up,
pulling his hand from his pocket and crossing his arms over his chest. “Loved her, yes. I wasn’t in love with her at that time,
however. It wouldn’t have worked with
Jenny because Buffy and I are bound to one another.”
Ethan raised an
eyebrow. “Do you think you would’ve
cheated on Jenny? I mean…if things had
gone differently…”
Giles took a deep
breath, thinking about the best way to answer the question. Knowing that simpler was better, he sighed.
“Yes, I do. I’m not sure that anyone…or anything…could
have kept me from falling in love with Buffy.”
“Have you ever
brought another woman into your relationship?”
Ethan asked suddenly.
Giles coughed and stared
at his friend, confused by the change of topic.
“What?”
Ethan grinned,
shaking his head. “Well, do you ever
have the urge to be with someone else? I
mean…ten years with the same woman…”
“Since I admitted
that I had fallen in love with her, I’ve never had the urge to be with someone
else. We’ve never brought another woman,
or man for that matter, into our bed.”
Something about the
way Giles made that statement piqued Ethan’s curiosity. “But, you discussed it…didn’t you?”
Giles rolled his eyes. “Not in the way you’re referring.” When Ethan snorted, he continued. “She asked if I’d ever thought about it…being
with another man. When I said ‘no’, she
told me that she’d be open to it…as long as the other man wasn’t you.”
To Giles’ surprise,
Ethan barked out a laugh. “Can’t say I
blame her there. So, you’ve never?”
“No.” Giles answered slowly. “I, uh…haven’t had the desire…”
Ethan raised an
eyebrow and then grinned lecherously.
“She fucks you, doesn’t she?”
“What?” Giles asked, his eyes widening.
“You didn’t answer
fast enough, mate.” Ethan stated,
chuckling as Giles’ skin reddened. “So,
you’ve had the desire to be fucked…just not by a man. Interesting…”
“Ethan…”
“I won’t say
anything.” Giles glared at him and Ethan
took a step back, the grin still plastered on his face. “But, it’s nice isn’t it? Feeling a hard cock – ”
“Ethan!” Giles growled, his eyes darkening half a
shade.
Knowing he had
overstepped his bounds, Ethan gave a brief nod and glanced down at his
watch. “I, uh…need to go down to
Michael’s office. Almost quittin’ time
and all…”
Giles’ eyes softened
and he took a deep breath.
“Alright. We’ll see you tomorrow
night then…around seven?”
“Yeah.” Ethan glanced at a softly snoring
Callie. “Will she be coming?”
Giles chuckled and
shook his head. “I don’t think my
children would forgive me if I brought Callie and left them at home with the
babysitter.”
Ethan smiled and
shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Rupert…I am sorry. I didn’t mean
to upset you.”
Giles exhaled softly
and ran his hand through his hair. “You
didn’t upset me, Ethan.”
Ethan was quiet for a
moment and then grinned as he walked to the door. “You only get that tone with me if I’ve upset
you or if I’m right about something you don’t want me to know about.”
Giles huffed softly
and moved back to his chair behind the desk.
“Have a good evening, Ethan.”
Ethan gave him a
wink, wishing Giles a good night, and walked out of the office. Giles lowered himself into his chair and took
a deep breath.
Ethan may have
prodded a bit too much, but he was right.
It did feel nice. He looked down
as his cock started to stir.
“Go away.” He muttered softly.
He closed his eyes as
images of Buffy kneeling behind him flashed in his mind. He groaned and looked down at Callie. She lifted her head and yawned.
“What do you think
about going home early?”
Callie stood up and
stretched, her tail wagging gently.
* * *
Giles woke up for the
second time that night and sighed heavily.
The first time was due to a loud crash of thunder that caused Callie to
whimper, but Buffy had slept through.
This time, however…it wasn’t a crash of thunder that woke him.
He glanced at the
clock and sighed again as his hand wandered down to his erection. He turned his head and watched Buffy
sleep. When she shifted slightly, his
cock twitched against his hand.
Knowing it was
useless to attempt to go back to sleep, he pushed the blankets back and slid
out of bed. If he masturbated in bed,
he’d wake her…and she needed her sleep.
As he slipped into his robe, she rolled onto her side and snuggled into
her pillow.
He tied the belt
around his waist and quickly left the room before the urge to wake her became
too powerful to ignore.
* * *
He stepped into the
shower and sighed. Originally, he had
planned on a cold shower to help take care of his problem. Moments before he stepped under the cold
spray, he changed his mind and turned the knob to increase the hot water.
The cold spray
wouldn’t have affected him at this point anyway. There was only one thing that would take care
of it. And that was for him to come…
* * *
Buffy opened the
bathroom door and smiled upon seeing his silhouette through the frosted glass
of the shower stall. She quickly shed
her pajamas and opened the shower door, a rush of arousal sweeping through her
when she heard his soft grunt over the sound of running water.
When he felt her hand
touch his back, he groaned louder and tightened his fist around his cock. His right hand was pressed against the shower
wall, supporting him as the water flowed over his body.
Leaning forward, she
ran her tongue along his spine, smiling as she watched his fingers curl against
the wall. “Giles…”
His hips arched
against his hand as he murmured her name.
She lightly kissed the crescent shaped wounds on his back, courtesy of
her nails during the previous night’s activities.
“Turn around,
baby.” She whispered just loud enough to
be heard over the water. “Turn around
and let me watch you…”
He slowed his strokes
and turned carefully, leaning his back against the wall. She glanced down at his thick cock held
tightly in his hand and licked her lips.
“You should’ve woken
me up.”
“God, I wanted
to.” He groaned, his eyes darting to her
right hand, which had moved between her legs.
“Yes…Buffy…please…”
She smiled, leaning
her head back against the wall as she increased the pressure on her
clitoris. “I think I could come just by
watching you.”
They watched each
other for a few moments. He glanced at
her face when she leaned her head against the shower wall and closed her eyes,
a moan escaping her lips.
He swallowed and
returned his gaze to her hand. “Harder,
Buffy…follow me…”
She groaned softly
and opened her eyes, matching her movements with his…pushing herself closer to
orgasm. “Oh, God…”
He tore his eyes from
her hand and stared into hers. “I can’t
hold out much longer, honey…”
She whimpered at the
look of raw passion in his eyes, moving her fingers quicker over her throbbing
clit. “Giles…”
Knowing he was only a
few seconds away from his climax, he moved across the small stall and placed
his right hand on the wall above her shoulder.
His heat embraced her, the heady aroma of his arousal making her dizzy.
He leaned forward, his
chest nearly touching against hers, and rested his forehead against his
hand. His voice was thick with need when
he told her to move her hand.
“Almost there.” She moaned, her body trembling against his.
“Move…your
hand.” He whispered gruffly into her
ear. “Now, Buffy…please.”
Though she didn’t
want to, she heard the urgency in his tone.
When he felt her fingers move from her clit and grip his hip, he groaned
and nudged the head of his cock against the bundle of nerves.
Two firm strokes
later, he cried out her name as he came, coating her clit with his hot
semen. She gasped and moved her left
hand to his shoulder for support as her orgasm crashed over her.
The cooling water
sprayed over his back as he released his softening cock and pulled her into his
trembling arms. She pressed her cheek
against his chest, holding on to him tightly as his cock twitched against her.
“Jesus…”
He smiled softly and
took a step back, pulling her with him. When
she lifted her eyes in a silent question, he swallowed and gestured to the
water.
“Hot water’s running
out…we should rinse off…”
She nodded numbly,
allowing him to turn her towards the spray and rinse their mingling fluids from
her still quivering flesh. She leaned
back against his chest and sighed heavily.
“Are you
alright?” He asked softly before placing
a tender kiss on her shoulder.
“Mm-hm…”
He moved his kisses
up her neck as his fingers gently massaged her wet curls, rinsing away all
traces of their activities. “Do you need
more?”
She shook her head
slowly, running her hand down his arm and lacing her fingers with his. “All I need…is for you to take me back to bed
and hold me.”
Reaching out, he
turned the knobs to shut off the flow of water.
He kissed her ear and took a deep breath before opening the stall door
and grabbing a fresh towel.
“I can do that.” He whispered as he lovingly dried her body.
She smiled sleepily,
slipping back into her pajamas as he dried himself. “Are you okay?”
“Hm?” He looked up as he draped the towel over the
rack and pulled on his pajama pants.
“What made you wake
up at two in the morning with a need to jack off in the shower?”
He chuckled and
opened the bathroom door, quietly ushering her into the bedroom. “A dream.”
She raised an eyebrow
as he closed the bedroom door and nudged her towards the bed. “Good dream?”
He laughed softly,
sliding under the sheets and pulling her into his arms. “Not as good as the reality.”
She grinned and snuggled
against him, draping her arm over his abdomen.
“I love you.”
He smiled, his eyes
closing as exhaustion quickly overtook him.
“I love you.”
Giles smiled down at
his son, tousling his hair. “What’s
wrong, Lucas?”
Lucas looked up at
him and sighed. “Why can’t we come with
you?”
“Because, this is a
night for grown-ups. It doesn’t happen
often, son.”
“I know, but…why
can’t the little kids stay with Lindy and then Bay and I can come with you and
Mummy?”
Giles chuckled and
then knelt down in front of Lucas. “You
and Braden need to help Lindy. You know
what a handful Haddie and Evan can be…add Callie to that and Lindy’s going to
need your assistance.”
When Lucas furrowed
his brow, Giles placed his large hand on his son’s shoulder. “I thought you liked Lindy.”
“I do.” Lucas nodded slowly before sighing. “I just liked the babysitter we had when we
were on holidays a little more. Can you
get her to watch us?”
Giles hesitated and
then cleared his throat when we felt Buffy’s hand on his shoulder. “I, uh…we were in
“I really liked
her.”
Giles fought to keep
his emotions in check, the children didn’t know Katie’s true identity…there was
no reason to tell them, and they probably wouldn’t have understood.
“So did I,
Lucas.” He lifted his hand and gently
ran his fingers through the brown curls covering his son’s head. “But, Lindy always takes really good care of
all of you.”
“Can we come next
time?”
Giles smiled, leaning
forward and kissing the boy’s cheek.
“Yes, you can come next time.”
Lucas thought for a
moment and then smiled at his father.
“Okay.”
And just like that,
the conversation was over. Giles watched
as Lucas ran off, presumably in search of his older brother. When he felt Buffy gently squeeze his
shoulder, he sighed and stood back up.
“You okay?”
He nodded, offering
her a smile even though his eyes were glistening. “Yes.”
Lifting her hand, she
lovingly stroked his cheek with her thumb.
“I know you miss her.”
“She comes around
sometimes…I can sense her.” He sighed
heavily, leaning into his wife’s touch.
“I just wish I could see her again…talk to her again.”
Buffy bit her lip and
took a deep breath. “I normally wouldn’t
suggest this, but…maybe Haddie can help?”
“I’ve thought about
it.” Giles admitted quietly. “But, I’m not sure it’s appropriate to ask
our four and a half year old daughter to pass messages back and forth between
her father and her deceased half-sister.”
Buffy nodded in
understanding, leaning up to give him a soft kiss. “Maybe think about it though. Haddie doesn’t have to know that Katie is
your daughter…at least not right now.”
He bent his head,
intending to return the kiss. Just as
his lips touched Buffy’s, he felt something fall onto his foot and heard
Callie’s playful yip. Buffy laughed and
pulled back as she looked down at the puppy.
“What’s your
problem?”
Callie wagged her
tail and nudged the tennis ball with her nose.
Buffy bent down and picked the ball up, tossing it into Giles’ hand as
she looked into his eyes.
“Go play with your
dog for a few minutes. Lindy’ll be here
in about half an hour.”
Giles smiled as he
gestured towards the door in the living room that led to the backyard. “Would you like to come with?”
Buffy grinned and
shook her head. “I take longer to get
ready than you do. Go on…take the kids
with you.”
Giles chuckled and
gave her another brief kiss before calling his children. Buffy ran her hand through her freshly washed
hair and smiled brightly as she watched her family file out the door and into
the yard.
* * *
Giles followed Ethan
with his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly when Ethan walked outside. Buffy nudged him gently with her elbow.
“What’s up?” She whispered softly as the rest of the
guests chatted, after-dinner drinks in their hands.
“Something’s
bothering him.” He whispered back,
glancing towards the door again.
“Do you think it has
anything to do with your conversation with Michael the other day? Or…maybe what he told you yesterday?”
Giles looked back at
her and shook his head. “I doubt
it. He’s…nervous. More nervous than I’ve ever seen him.”
He tilted his head
towards the window, his eyes remaining locked on hers. “Look at him, Buffy. Pacing back and forth, lighting a cigarette
after he’s barely exhaled smoke from the previous one. Something’s bothering him…”
Buffy nodded slowly
as she watched Ethan light another cigarette.
“Go talk to him. I’ll help
Michael and Willow in the kitchen.”
“Thank you.” He whispered as he leant down and kissed
her. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Buffy watched him as
he slipped out the back door and then sighed as she turned towards the kitchen.
* * *
Ethan looked up, pausing
his pace when Giles walked onto the back porch and closed the door behind
him. He blew out a lungful of smoke and
took another drag as he began to pace again.
“Care to talk about
it, Ethan?”
“I don’t know.” Ethan mumbled as he walked past Giles and
down the steps leading to the backyard.
Giles raised an
eyebrow, following him as he walked around the corner of the house. Ethan leaned against the trunk of a tree and
lifted his cigarette to his lips. It was
then that Giles noticed how badly his friend’s hand was trembling.
“Talk to me, Ethan.”
Ethan was quiet for a
moment, gathering his thoughts and then sighed heavily.
“I’m getting ready to
announce to all of my friends that Michael and I are getting married and have
set a date.”
Giles nodded and
leaned his shoulder against the large trunk, sliding his right hand into his
pocket. “Yes?”
“God, I love him,
Rupert.”
Hearing the
desperation in the whispered statement, Giles narrowed his eyes in
concern. “Ethan? What is it?”
Ethan shook his head
and dropped the butt to the ground, simultaneously pulling his pack out of his
pocket to shake another cigarette out.
Giles reached out, closing his hand around Ethan’s, effectively
preventing him from lighting another.
“What is it?” He repeated softly.
Ethan slowly raised
his eyes and met Giles’, the pack of cigarettes falling to the ground. Giles inhaled sharply when he saw the red
flicker in his friend’s eyes.
“Ethan…”
“It’s…it’s not what
you think.” Ethan replied quickly,
swallowing hard. “I haven’t…a lower
demon has taken over for Chaos, but I haven’t…not since the night I found out
Anna had left.”
“You haven’t been
able to eradicate him completely from you, have you? There’s still a piece of him there…from years
ago?”
Tears glistened in
Ethan’s eyes. “Maybe it is what you
think.”
“It’s pulling at
you?” Giles sighed as Ethan nodded
sadly. “This hasn’t happened before?”
“No, not like
this. Not this…strong.”
“Why now?” Giles asked gently as he pushed himself off
the tree and moved to stand in front of Ethan.
“After all this time, why is it affecting you this way now?”
“I’m happy.” Ethan whispered, a tear escaping from the
corner of his left eye. “I know what I
want…who I want. Chaos is trying to make
my life…chaos. And, God help me…it’s
pushing me very close to doing just that.”
When Giles raised his
hand to touch Ethan’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort, Ethan flinched and
shook his head furiously.
“God, don’t touch me,
Rupert!”
In that instant,
Giles saw everything in Ethan’s eyes.
“Dear Lord…”
Ethan’s voice
trembled as another tear rolled down his cheek.
“Chaos knows what would hurt me the most…and it’s pushing me to do
something that would make Michael leave.
If you touch me…”
“Chaos
succeeds.” Giles finished for him in a
shocked whisper.
Ethan nodded
miserably, lowering his head and running his hand through his hair. “I love him, Rupert.”
“I know.” Giles answered quietly, reaching into his
pocket for his phone. “Have you talked
about this with Michael?”
“God, how can I? I want to…but, what the fuck am I supposed to
say to him?”
Giles flipped his
phone open, his thumb pausing over the button that would call Buffy’s
phone. “He knows and understands about
your previous alliance with Chaos, yes?”
Ethan shrugged his
shoulder and inhaled shakily. “He
knows. I’m not sure how much he really
understands.”
“When did this start,
Ethan?”
“This morning. I had a dream last night…” He raised his eyes and stared at Giles. “This…desire…started when I woke up…and it’s
been growing since then.”
Giles nodded in
understanding and he pressed the button.
Ethan’s jaw clenched and then released.
“I can’t do this to
him, Rupert…”
Giles swallowed and
held the phone to his ear, waiting for Buffy to answer. He didn’t have to wait long, she picked up on
the second ring.
“Everything okay?”
He closed his eyes
briefly and then looked towards the sky, the stars shining brightly in the
darkness.
“Can you come
outside, please?”
“Giles…”
“Don’t say anything
to anyone, just…please come outside.
We’re around the side of the house.”
“I’ll be right
there.” She stated quickly and hung up.
Slipping the phone
back into his pocket, he looked at Ethan.
“You need to talk to Michael about this, Ethan.”
“I know.” Ethan whispered, slumping back against the
tree and wiping the tears from his face.
Before he could say
anything else, Buffy ran around the corner.
“Giles?”
She glanced at Ethan
as Giles took her hand and pulled her to his side. “God, Ethan…are you okay?”
Ethan chuckled sadly
and shook his head. “I rather think
not.”
“What’s going on?”
A red flash shone in
Ethan’s eyes as he looked at Buffy. His
resolve quickly fading away, he groaned and slid down to the ground, resting
his back against the tree.
“Besides the fact
that I have this nearly uncontrollable urge to fuck your husband? Nothing.”
Buffy’s eyes widened
as she looked from Ethan to Giles.
“Um…Giles?”
“It’s not real,
Buffy.” Giles replied softly, gently
squeezing her hand.
Ethan’s eyes darkened
as he stared at Giles. “My cock begs to
differ.”
“Ethan!” Giles exclaimed as his eyes narrowed. “Fucking fight it. Because this is not happening.”
Ethan glanced at
Buffy, his eyes welling with tears before he dropped his head to his hands. “God, I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry…”
Buffy’s heart raced
in her chest, confusion at the situation and concern for Ethan filling
her. Her voice was a mere whisper when
she spoke, not taking her eyes off of Ethan.
“Giles, you should
really tell me what’s going on.”
Giles took a deep
breath, his heart aching for his friend.
“We need to do a spell, Buffy.
And…we need Michael out here.”
Ethan’s head shot
up. “No!
Rupert, Michael can’t see me like this!
He can’t!”
Giles exhaled slowly,
kneeling on the ground in front of Ethan, gently pulling Buffy down with
him. “Ethan…you have to talk to him.”
“No…not right
now. God, if he sees me like this…” He gestured vaguely towards his groin, his
erection easily detectable under his jeans.
“I’ll lose him, Rupert. You are
the one person he would leave me over, don’t you understand?”
Buffy reached out,
placing her hand on Ethan’s knee.
“Nothing has happened, Ethan.
We’ll explain everything to Michael, the three of us.” She turned her eyes to Giles. “As soon as I know what I’m explaining…”
“Chaos doesn’t like
that, for the first time in my life, I’m truly happy with where I am.” Ethan stated.
“Chaos?” Buffy whispered in surprise. “I…killed Chaos.”
Ethan and Giles both
shook their heads and Giles spoke. “You
killed the demon who was leading Chaos at the time. As with most aspects of life, once the leader
is taken from power, a new leader will come forth.”
“Oh.” Buffy said in an uncertain tone. “So…the new leader is trying to cause problems
for Ethan?”
Giles glanced at
Ethan and nodded. “Yes.”
“But…I thought for
that to happen, Chaos had to, um…well…”
“Fuck me?” Ethan asked softly. “He did…years ago. And not so long ago.”
Giles cleared his
throat and offered a quick explanation.
“Ethan pushed Chaos from his life, turned his back on that
lifestyle. But, he wasn’t able to get
rid of everything…and because there are some minute particles left, Chaos is able
to create a spark.”
“Okay.” Buffy thought about it for a minute and then
sighed. “But, why now? Why hasn’t this happened before?”
Ethan lowered his
eyes and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. “I’ve never been this happy before. Chaos wants to take that away…but, he wants
me to be the one to do it. If I give in
to this urge, I’ll lose Michael. I’ll
lose what makes me happy.”
Buffy nodded and
stood up. “Okay, so I’ll go get Michael
and – ”
Looking into Ethan’s
darkened eyes, Giles shook his head and softly interrupted her. “Perhaps I should go find Michael.”
Before Buffy could
ask why, Giles stood and looked into her eyes.
“It’s not safe for us to be left alone for the moment, Buffy. He’s fighting it, but…it’s getting stronger.”
“If you’d just fuck
me, this pain would go away.” Ethan said
softly, causing Buffy and Giles to look down at him.
Giles shook his head
slowly. “That can’t happen, Ethan. You know the consequences.”
“Getting to the point
of not caring, Rupert.” Ethan shot back
before leaning his head back against the tree.
“I didn’t mean that…I swear, I didn’t mean it.”
“I know, Ethan.” Giles replied, sighing when Ethan closed his
eyes. He lightly ran his hand down
Buffy’s back and swallowed nervously. “Stay
with him, I’ll go find Michael and Willow.”
Buffy nodded and then
grabbed his hand as he walked by her.
“You said you had to do a spell…what kind of spell?”
Giles glanced at
Ethan before meeting Buffy’s eyes. “A
cleansing spell. I’m sure Ethan has the
necessary ingredients…I’ll ask Willow to gather them while we’re speaking with
Michael.”
“Rupert?” Ethan opened his eyes and stared at Giles,
his eyes filling with tears once more.
“Please hurry.”
Giles gently squeezed
Buffy’s hand, nodding before he turned and rushed back to the house. Buffy watched until he was out of sight and
then knelt back on the ground in front of Ethan. Ethan sniffled lightly and clenched his fists
in an attempt to stop the trembling.
“It’s going to be
okay, Ethan.”
“I’m sorry,
Buffy. I’d never intentionally try to
come between the two of you…”
Buffy reached out,
tenderly brushing his damp hair back from his forehead. “You don’t have to apologize, Ethan. This isn’t your fault. We’ll work through it, okay? Everything’s going to be okay.”
Ethan opened his mouth
to reply, then closed it as his tears began to fall. Buffy quickly pulled him into her arms,
rubbing his back in a soothing gesture.
She closed her eyes, his despair rushing through her as he began
whispering his apologies again.
Michael looked up
from his conversation with
“Rupert, is something
wrong?”
Giles glanced at him
before meeting
“A cleansing spell?”
“Who’s being
cleansed?” Anya asked curiously.
Michael stepped
forward, concern etched on his face.
“Rupert…where’s Ethan?”
“I’ll explain
everything in just a second. Please…does
Ethan still keep herbs and such in a small chest with an engraving of a ram on
the top?”
Michael narrowed his
eyes slightly, but nodded. “It’s
upstairs in the closet in our bedroom.”
Giles looked at
“What’s wrong with
Ethan?” Michael asked, panic seeping
into his voice.
“A cleansing spell
works best with candles infused with sage.”
Anya supplied in a helpful tone.
“There should be some
in the chest.” Giles answered absently,
looking into Michael’s eyes. “Come with
me, Michael…we’ll explain everything.”
Michael’s eyes
glistened as he grabbed Giles’ forearm.
“Is he okay?”
“Yes.” Giles replied, before breathing a soft
sigh. “At the moment.”
Michael let go of
Giles’ arm and ran towards the door. Giles
took off after him, leaving Anya standing in the kitchen by herself.
“I’ll help
* * *
Michael ran around
the side of the house, Giles right behind him, and stopped suddenly at the sight
of Ethan sobbing as Buffy held him. He
fell to his knees next to Ethan, whispering his name.
Ethan turned his head
sharply, tears stinging his eyes as he stared at Michael. “Mike…”
Michael nodded,
running his fingers through Ethan’s hair as he leaned forward and kissed his
forehead. “What’s wrong, EJ?”
“I love you.” Ethan whispered, his hands trembling
violently as he pulled Michael towards him.
“God, I love you so fucking much.”
Michael looked
towards Buffy and Giles, noticing that Giles was standing a few feet away. “What’s going on?”
“Chaos.” Ethan answered in a hoarse voice.
Michael’s eyes
widened, turning towards Ethan as Giles took a few steps forward and knelt next
to Buffy. Buffy took his hand and took a
deep breath.
“We’ll explain everything
to you, Michael.”
* * *
Unbeknownst to Giles
and Ethan, Michael had been reading up on Chaos. He hadn’t fully understood when Ethan had
tried to explain that part of his past to him, so when he found himself in the
Council Library, he took the opportunity to read as much as he could.
What Buffy and Giles
were telling him at the moment didn’t come as a complete shock. Instead, he held Ethan in his arms, tenderly
running his hands over his back in an attempt to calm him.
When he heard Ethan’s
pained whisper of ‘I’m sorry’, Michael shook his head and lovingly kissed his
cheek.
“EJ, it’s okay. I understand, love.”
Ethan lifted his
head, his eyes glassy. “You…still love
me?”
Michael’s eyes
glistened as he tenderly ran his thumb over Ethan’s bottom lip. “Oh, honey…I love you so much. Rupert and Buffy…they know what to do to help
you.”
Ethan’s eyes glowed
red for a brief second. “I know what
Rupert could do to help me…but, he won’t.”
Michael stared at
him, jumping when Giles gently touched his shoulder. “Ethan…”
“If he’d fuck me, the
pain would stop. But, he keeps
refusing.”
Michael turned slowly
and met Giles’ eyes. “He doesn’t sound…”
“Chaos is telling him
what to say right now. Ethan has been
trying to block him, but…it comes through once in a while.” He lowered his voice, glancing at Ethan. “We need to do the spell soon.”
“If you…were with
him…would the pain stop? Would he be
okay?” Michael asked, his fear rising.
Giles sighed
heavily. “The pain would stop, but…it
would create a whole new world of problems.
Problems that we wouldn’t be able to correct. And…we’d end up losing Ethan in the end.”
A tear rolled down
Michael’s cheek. “Lose him? What do you mean?”
Giles licked his dry
lips and swallowed. “The minute particles
that create a spark? If Ethan gives in
to this urge…if we…” He hesitated and
shook his head. “The minute particles
will expand at a rapid rate until his entire being is compromised. Should that happen, you’ll lose Ethan…I’ll
lose my family. He’s fighting so hard,
Michael. He doesn’t want this…Chaos
does. But, he’s growing tired…”
“How do you
know?” Michael whispered. “Maybe he can keep fighting…”
Giles shook his
head. “His eyes. You saw the glow? At first it was a small flicker, then it was
a flash. The longer the appearance of
the red in his eyes, the closer he is to losing control.”
Michael looked down
as Ethan rested his head against his chest.
He placed a kiss on the top of his head and looked at Buffy and Giles.
“What do I need to do?”
* * *
Anya shook her head
at Xander, pointing at the candle in his hand.
“That needs to be exactly fifteen feet from this one…and in perfect
alignment.”
Xander nodded and
began lining the candle up with the one on the floor next to Anya’s foot. “The other two?”
“It’s like a big
cross…the other two candles perpendicular to these at a distance of twelve feet
apart.”
Oz handed
“I don’t know, but
I’m going to say ‘pretty freakin’ bad’ considering how upset Giles was.”
Oz nodded slowly,
passing a bottle of hemp oil to her.
“What are we cleansing?”
Everyone looked to
the door when it opened, Michael and Buffy supporting Ethan as he stumbled into
the room. Giles walked in behind them,
closing and locking the door before pulling the blinds.
“Just a
precaution…” Giles glanced at Ethan as
Michael and Buffy lowered him to the floor between the candles. “He needs to be directly in the centre…about
a foot and a half to your right.”
“The candles need to
be lit at the same time, on my order.”
He spoke a person’s name as he pointed to each candle. “Oz, Xander, Buffy, Anya.”
As they each moved to
their assigned positions, Giles continued.
“Anya, you’re at the head…you’ll need to chant with
Anya narrowed her
eyes. “I thought only two people needed
to chant during a cleansing spell.”
“I may be unable to
continue.” He stated vaguely, glancing
at Buffy.
Anya looked confused,
but nodded anyway.
Giles turned his eyes
to
Giles took a deep
breath. “Michael and I will be in there
with him. He…needs to be held down.”
Xander raised an
eyebrow. “Held down? Wouldn’t Slayer strength be a better way to
go?”
Giles shook his head
as he watched the red glow appear in Ethan’s eyes. “Michael needs to be in there with
me.”
Xander darted his
eyes between Buffy, Giles, Michael, and Ethan.
“Why?”
Giles didn’t answer
him, but merely took hold of Michael’s arm and pulled him to the side,
gesturing for Buffy to join them.
“Michael, I need you
to listen to me right now.” When Michael
nodded, Giles took a deep breath. “I’m
not sure what’s going to happen, but you need to know that if something…”
He sighed as he
struggled for the right word, unable to come up with it.
“If something…bad…or
wrong…happens, it isn’t Ethan. It’s
Chaos…not Ethan. Ethan would never do
anything to intentionally hurt you.”
Michael’s eyes
glistened. “Rupert?”
“I have the
impression that you’ve researched Chaos at some point.” He waited until Michael lowered his eyes and
nodded. “Then you know that Chaos
thrives on erotica.”
Michael’s eyes
snapped back to Giles’. “Oh God.”
“He’ll try to take
Ethan as he’s being cleansed. He’ll
say…and do…things that Ethan would never do.
Not now. You need to remember
this.”
He slowly turned to
Buffy and sighed heavily. “I love you.”
Wrapping her hand
around the back of his neck, she quickly drew his head down and kissed him
deeply. He returned the kiss with equal
passion, holding her body tightly as his tongue massaged hers.
As they slowly broke
apart, she looked into his eyes and placed her hand over his heart. “I love you.”
Giles stood there for
a moment as Buffy took her spot. Michael
gently touched his shoulder to get his attention.
“What am I supposed
to do?”
Giles exhaled
slowly. “You have to help me hold him down.”
“Is he going to be
okay?” Michael whispered, his voice
quavering.
“We do this now, we
have a good chance of him coming through this just fine. If we wait…”
He shook his head and glanced at Ethan, who was staring at him through
eyes dark with lust. “We need to do this
now, Michael. Are you ready?”
Michael nodded numbly
and followed him to the centre of the cross.
Giles knelt at Ethan’s left side, motioning for Michael to kneel at
Ethan’s right side.
Ethan grinned and
licked his lips. “Two for the price of
one? Ah, Ripper…you know you’re the only
one I need to set me free…”
“Shut up.” Giles muttered.
He placed his left
hand around Ethan’s wrist, his right hand on his shoulder, his right knee on
his thigh. Michael moved quickly, copying
Giles’ placement.
“Just to feel your
hard cock sliding into my ass one more time – ”
Ethan groaned in displeasure as Giles shifted most of his weight to the
knee pressed into his thigh. “Fucking
hell!”
“Shut the fuck up and
let Ethan go!”
Ethan’s eyes blazed
red, a feral grin forming on his lips.
“How about you fuck me and I’ll let Ethan go? Nice and hard…like you used to…he always
liked it when you fucked him.”
Giles glanced at
Michael and shook his head. “Remember
what I said. Ethan loves you,
Michael.”
“You right
bastard…fuck me!” Ethan cried as he
struggled.
“Now!” Giles screamed, using all of his strength to
hold Ethan down.
The candles were lit,
three voices began to chant. Tears
streamed down Michael’s face as he spoke to Ethan, loud enough to be heard over
the chanting.
“Ethan…don’t leave
me. Stay with me…you’re going to marry
me, remember? In three
weeks…everything’s…please don’t leave me, Ethan.”
The red light in
Ethan’s eyes flickered before disappearing briefly. He panted heavily as he stared at
Michael.
“Don’t…let go. Love you, Mike…” He turned his head and looked at Giles, who
was chanting furiously along with
Just as the redness
in his eyes began to flicker again, the candles surrounding them flared
hotly.
Ethan screamed, his
body bucking under the weight of the two men holding him down. His eyes glowed as he stared at Giles.
“You’ll fuck me…and
then I’ll fuck you…make you feel things your pretty wife can’t make you feel
while she fucks you.”
Anger flared inside
of Giles, his eyes darkening dangerously.
“Shut up!”
Ethan grinned and turned
his eyes to Michael. “I could suck your
cock while he’s fucking me…”
Giles glanced at
Michael when he felt the younger man loosen his hold. “Harder, Michael!”
Giles lifted his
right hand from Ethan’s shoulder and grabbed his chin, roughly turning Ethan’s
head to face him. “You want to fuck with
me? Fuck with me. Leave Michael out of it…”
Ethan’s eyes
continued to glow red, though now there was a green flicker of light around the
edges of his irises. “You took him from
me.”
Buffy glanced at
Giles shook his head
as he stared at Ethan. “No. Ethan took himself from you. I merely helped.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed
as he opened his mouth to retort.
Instead, he screamed in pain as
“I fucking hate you!”
“Oh?” Giles spat out as he pressed his knee harder
against Ethan’s thigh. “Consider it
mutual.”
He raised his eyes to
meet
“…never to return to
this vessel, for as long as he walks the Earth.
Compaxu!”
Ethan screamed as his
eyes flashed a brilliant green for a brief moment. His body stopped bucking, stopped moving
altogether…his muscles relaxing as his eyes closed.
The candles flared
once more and then extinguished themselves.
Giles took a shaky breath, releasing his hold on Ethan as he fell to the
side and rolled onto his back.
Buffy rushed to him,
sliding to her knees and leaning over him.
“Giles? Giles, are you okay?”
He swallowed, his
chest heaving as he fought for air, and opened his eyes. “Fine…tired, but fine.”
Hearing Michael
whisper Ethan’s name, he turned his head to find Michael gently lifting Ethan’s
head to his lap. Ethan remained unmoving
as Michael stroked his face, softly urging Ethan to wake up.
Giles’ eyes widened
as a sudden fear rushed through him. As
he stared at the two, Giles realized that Ethan’s chest wasn’t moving.
“Rupert?” Michael whispered as he watched Giles press
two fingers against the side of Ethan’s neck.
“Pulse is slow, but
he has one.” Giles shook his head
quickly. “He’s not breathing…”
“Oh God…” Michael cried softly as Giles gently moved
Ethan back to the floor.
Giles looked up
quickly as he tilted Ethan’s head back and pinched his nostrils shut. “Talk to him, Michael.”
Covering Ethan’s
mouth with his own, Giles gently blew air into Ethan’s lungs. Michael took Ethan’s hand in his and began to
whisper softly to him, begging him to come back.
Giles met Buffy’s
eyes as he checked Ethan’s pulse again.
With a light shake of his head, he blew another puff of air into Ethan’s
mouth and watched his friend’s chest rise and then slowly fall.
“Come on,
Ethan.” He whispered as he checked
Ethan’s pulse again. “Fuck!”
Michael jumped at the
exclamation, gasping as Giles clasped his hands and leaned over Ethan’s
chest. “No! No, Ethan!”
As Giles started
chest compressions, he stared at Ethan’s face.
“Don’t you fucking die now, Ethan!”
Buffy hurried over
and knelt next to Michael. Her eyes
glistened as she looked at Giles. “You
breathe.”
Giles gave a quick
nod and moved as Buffy took over the compressions. “Try not to break his ribs.”
Oz pulled
They worked furiously
for what seemed to be an eternity. Buffy
was contemplating on suggesting that there was nothing more they could do. Giles blew another breath for him and lifted
his head, a tear falling from his cheek to land on Ethan’s chin.
“Don’t let Chaos win,
Ethan. Please…”
“Giles…” Buffy whispered softly.
He turned his head
and met her eyes, quickly reading her suggestion in her saddened hazel
eyes. He shook his head quickly and
covered Ethan’s mouth again.
He counted Buffy’s
compressions and, just as he lowered his mouth, Ethan coughed. Buffy stopped her movement as Giles turned
Ethan’s head to the side and pressed his fingers against the artery.
A smile appeared on
his lips as Ethan coughed again. “That’s
it, Ethan…”
Ethan groaned and
squeezed Michael’s hand. Buffy moved
back quickly, allowing Michael to take her place. Lovingly stroking his damp hair, Michael
leaned over and kissed his forehead.
“Mike…” Ethan whispered hoarsely.
“I’m here, baby. God, I’m here.” Michael sniffled as he lifted Ethan’s hand to
his lips.
Giles exhaled deeply
and sat back, wiping his hand over his face as he spoke. “Pulse is strong…getting stronger.”
“You okay?” Buffy asked as she reached out and took his
trembling hand into hers.
“I think so.” He whispered, gently squeezing her hand as he
watched Ethan open his eyes. “Ethan?”
Ethan took a deep
breath and groaned. “Jesus, my chest
hurts. Were you trying to kill me or
save me?”
Michael smiled and
wiped the tears from his face. “That’s
my EJ.”
Feeling the lump grow
in his throat, Giles let go of Buffy’s hand and stood, quickly making his way
out the back door. No one asked what was
wrong, everyone knew. Ethan gave Buffy a
soft smile and a nod before turning back to Michael.
Buffy ran out the
door in search of her husband.
Anya wiped her eyes
and furrowed her brow. “Did you say
you’re getting married?”
Ethan smiled as he
looked into Michael’s eyes.
* * *
Buffy found Giles
around the side of the house. He was
sitting on the ground, his back resting against the cool brick, Ethan’s
forgotten pack of cigarettes in his hand.
He shook one out and pulled a lighter from his pocket.
Buffy sighed as she
watched his trembling fingers fumble with the lighter. Sitting next to him, she took the lighter
from his hand and lit the cigarette for him.
“Talk to me.” She whispered as she gently stroked his hair.
He took a deep drag
and shook his head. “I don’t think…I’ve
ever come that close to losing him before.
Not like that.”
“I know.” She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on
his temple. “It’s over now, honey.”
“God, I can’t imagine
what Michael was going through…” He
sighed and leaned his head back against the brick. “Yes…yes, I can.”
“Hey…” She said softly, running her thumb through
the drying tears on his cheek. “Shh…it’s
okay.”
He swallowed and
looked up at the stars just in time to watch one fall. “Make a wish…”
“Huh?” She followed his gaze, her eyes catching the
star just before it fell out of sight.
“Mum always said that
wishes made on falling stars always come true.”
Buffy smiled
softly. “Then I know what I’m wishing
for.”
Giles chuckled
softly, shaking his head as he took another puff from the cigarette. “Isn’t true, you know. Just something to tell your kids when they
ask why stars fall from the sky.”
Buffy shrugged and
lifted his arm, ducking her head under and snuggling against him as she draped
his arm over her shoulders and laced their fingers together. “I don’t know. Some wishes come true.”
He smiled, feeling
the tension begin to leave his body.
“Wish on stars often, do you?”
Tilting her head, she
brushed her lips over his jaw. “Not
anymore.”
He tightened his arm
around her briefly as he gently squeezed her fingers. “Thank you for helping me.”
“I couldn’t not
help.” She kissed him again as he
loosened his hold on her. “I don’t think
I broke anything…”
He nodded and flicked
the cigarette butt away from them. “We,
uh…should probably go back in. I left
rather…quickly…and he may well need to see a doctor. In fact, he probably should see a doctor…”
Buffy regarded him
carefully as he pulled his hand free and stood up, brushing the back of his
jeans free of any dirt or grass.
“Giles?”
“Yes?” He met her eyes as she stood.
“Are you okay?”
He offered her a
small smile, lifting his hand to cradle the side of her face. “I’m fine, love.”
“I love you.” She whispered, leaning into his touch.
His thumb caressed
her cheek as he lowered his mouth to hers.
“I love you too, Buffy…so very much.”
He kissed her slowly,
sighing into her mouth as she moulded her body to his and wrapped her arms
around his neck. Despite everything that
had happened, he could feel his body begin to respond to her. He pulled from the kiss reluctantly and
smiled.
“We…should go in.”
She nodded slowly,
not really surprised to see the arousal in his eyes. “Yeah, we should…”
Before he could say
anything else, she pulled his head back down and turned their bodies as she
reinitiated the kiss. He grunted softly
as she pushed him back against the side of the house.
His hands tightened
on her hips, stopping her from grinding against him but holding her firmly
against his burgeoning erection. With
some effort, he pulled his mouth from hers and gasped.
“Christ, Buffy…we
can’t…”
Breathing heavily,
she rested her head against his chest and sighed when she heard his heart
pounding. “Giles…”
He swallowed and
moved his hands from her hips to her back, holding her to his chest. “Not here…not like this.”
She nodded slowly,
her body tingling as his hands rubbed her back.
The after-effects were always the same when he’d been involved in a
casting. His arousal, her tingling…she knew
that they could bring each other to orgasm within minutes after a casting. She also knew that he was right.
It couldn’t be like
this. Not where they were…not after
Ethan had nearly died. She took a deep
breath and stepped back, biting her lip as she met his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head as
he pushed himself from the brick, carefully adjusting his erection to make it
less noticeable. “Don’t ever apologize
for that, Buffy. It’s not as if it hasn’t
happened before…”
She offered him a shy
smile and took his hand. “But, we need
to get back inside.”
He nodded and
returned her smile. “Yes. Yes, we do.”
* * *
Giles raised an
eyebrow as he and Buffy walked back into the room. Ethan was sitting on the couch, a smile on
his face as Anya glared at him.
“You’re getting
married? And you weren’t going to tell
us?”
Ethan laughed and
then grimaced, pushing his hand against his sternum. “Ow, Jesus…”
Michael looked at him
in concern. “Maybe you should see a
doctor.”
Ethan shook his
head. “And tell him what? A demon tried to possess me and I had to go
through an exorcism?”
“A cleansing.” Giles corrected softly. “And your heart stopped, Ethan.”
“Yeah, but it’s
beating again…all regular and manly.” He
smiled as Giles rolled his eyes. “I’m
just bruised, nothing’s broken and I’m breathing fine. I’m not going to the doctor.”
He turned his eyes to
Anya, who was still glaring at him, and grinned. “As for your questions….”
He glanced at Michael
as he placed his hand on Michael’s thigh.
“Yes, we’re getting married.
And…that was the point of this evening.
We were going to make our announcement after dinner.”
Ethan caught Giles’
eye and sighed softly. Leaning over and
placing a warm kiss on Michael’s lips, he smiled and gestured towards his
friend.
“I just need to talk
to him for a minute.”
Michael nodded and ran
his hand down the side of Ethan’s face in a loving caress. “I’ll be right here.”
Giles met Buffy’s
eyes and tilted his head towards the kitchen.
“I’ll be right back.”
Buffy smiled softly
in understanding, watching as Ethan stood and slowly made his way into the
kitchen with Giles right behind him.
* * *
“I’m fine,
Rupert.” Ethan stated as he pulled two
beers from the refrigerator.
Giles nodded, taking
the bottle that Ethan offered him. “I
know.”
Ethan twisted the lid
off his bottle and tossed it in the bin.
“So, what’s going on in that head of yours?”
Giles took a deep
breath and opened his beer, taking a long drink as he gathered his thoughts.
“It’s not necessary
for you to tell Michael absolutely everything.”
Ethan narrowed his
eyes as he swallowed a mouthful of beer.
“What?”
Giles leaned against
the counter and looked into Ethan’s eyes.
Ethan sighed heavily and lowered his gaze, staring at the bottle in his
hand instead.
“How did you know?”
“That not everything
you said was entirely directed by Chaos?
I know you, Ethan…I know how you speak.”
Ethan picked at the
label with his thumbnail and shook his head.
“I need to tell him.”
Giles placed his
bottle on the counter, a little harder than needed. “No, you don’t. Honesty is a wonderful thing, especially in a
marriage. But…when the truth causes more
pain and possible mistrust…”
Ethan looked up and
stared at Giles. “Are you telling me to
lie to Michael?”
“No. I’m telling you that omission of certain
details is not always a bad thing.” When
Ethan started to protest, Giles held up his hand. “Do you have serious thoughts about taking me
to your bed? Is it something you would
do now?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“When a woman, or a
man, catches your eye for the briefest of moments…do you tell him?”
Ethan shook his head
slowly. “Just because I notice them,
doesn’t mean I’d fuck them.”
“Then why tell him
this? Why tell him that in a tense
moment, while you’re fighting possession no less, you tell me that you want me
to fuck you? What good would it do if
you have no intention of pursuing it?”
“I…” Ethan tilted his head slightly and narrowed
his eyes. “You never told Buffy that you
almost kissed me a few years ago, did you?”
Giles didn’t have to
ask what he was talking about. He
clearly remembered the incident…sitting on the stairs at the Council while
Ethan told him the truth about their last sexual encounter.
“No, I didn’t.” Giles sighed softly. “It would have done more damage than
anything, Ethan. If I had kissed you,
yes…I would have told her. But, I
didn’t. And had I told her…”
“There would have
been trust issues.” Ethan finished for
him, finally understanding what Giles was trying to tell him.
“Yes. And for no substantial reason.”
Ethan was quiet for a
moment and then smiled. Giles looked at
him curiously.
Ethan shook his head
in mild amusement. “It’s just…the
closest thing to a kiss we’ve ever shared…and I have no memory of it.”
“You kissed me once,
before you left Sunnydale for
Ethan’s smile
grew. “Yeah, but that was me kissing
you…not you kissing me.”
Giles returned the
smile and picked up his bottle of beer.
“It was hardly a kiss.”
Ethan raised an
eyebrow. “Your mouth on my mouth…pretty
damn close to a kiss.”
“No tongue, no
kiss.” Giles stated as he took a sip
from the bottle.
“Are you really
discussing whether or not mouth-to-mouth resuscitation could be considered a
kiss?”
Giles turned his head
to find Buffy standing in the doorway with a grin on her face, Michael by her
side. He chuckled and shook his head as
he pointed to Ethan with his bottle.
“No, he was.”
Michael grinned and
walked across the kitchen. “That’s my
Ethan. Nearly dies and still thinks
about sex.”
Buffy laughed as she
slid her arm around her husband’s waist.
Michael glanced out the window and gasped.
“Look…”
Ethan turned around
and looked out the window. Michael stood
behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist as he rested his chin on
Ethan’s shoulder. Ethan smiled as
another star fell from the sky.
“Mum used to say that
wishes come true when they’re made on a falling star.” He covered Michael’s hands with his own over
his stomach and leaned his back against Michael’s chest. “Make a wish.”
Michael shook his
head softly before tenderly kissing Ethan’s cheek. “My wish already came true.”
As Ethan turned in
Michael’s arms, Giles quietly led Buffy back into the living room.
“What’s going on?”
Giles smiled and sat down
on the couch, pulling Buffy down beside of him.
“Wishes on stars.”
Oz smirked as he
played with
“Oh, they’re having
sex?”
Xander stared at her
incredulously. “Since when is ‘wishes on
stars’ a euphemism for sex?”
Anya shrugged her
shoulders. “I don’t know. When we’re talking about Michael and Ethan or
Buffy and Giles, ‘hand me that book’ could be a euphemism for sex.”
Giles snorted and
drained the remainder of beer from the bottle.
Buffy rolled her eyes in amusement.
In the kitchen, Ethan
whispered how much he loved Michael as he unbuttoned Michael’s shirt. Michael returned the sentiment in a whisper
of his own, making another wish as another star twinkled and fell from the sky.
He almost asked if
Ethan had ever seen more than one falling star at one time. But, the question was lost as Ethan’s tongue
dipped into his mouth. There would be
time for questions later.
~ End